


So Close

by BeckKingOfHell



Category: Voltron - Fandom, vld - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Langst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-14 10:46:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13588452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeckKingOfHell/pseuds/BeckKingOfHell
Summary: Lance has a son back on earth. Shit happens.This was inspired by blueplanettrash's 'Leo' fanfiction on tumblr. Go check her out, she's an amazing langst writer!





	1. Chapter 1

They didn’t understand. How could they? They didn’t have a kid back at home, wondering why their father wasn’t home. Questioning whether or not their dad was dead or just missing.

Because they simply didn’t know.

And now, maybe they will never know.

Lance moved his hands away from the bloody mess that was his side. Reapplying the pressure, Lance could feel tears prick his eyes.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. It was meant to be an easy mission, get in, get out. 

There wasn’t supposed to be any guards or Galras on the ship. They soon quickly realized that that was not the case.

This was meant to be their last and final mission. Zarkon and Lotor were long defeated, leaving a few bands of their followers left to fight against.

Tears raced down Lance’s face. “Guys.” He whispered into the comms.

“Lance?” Pidge’s voice was filled with worry. “Lance, where are you, are you okay?”

Lance took a glance at his side and gave a pitifully laugh. “I don’t think that matters at this point.” He coughed.

“Bro, where are you?” Hunk’s voice rang, making Lance wince.

“No idea, buddy.” He coughed again, this time blood tinting his lips. 

“I have your location, hang in there!” Pidge reassured Lance. 

_ I’m not really sure if I can.  _ Lance thought. He was so close to going back home to see his son. So close to being able to hug him and kiss his little head.

_ I don’t think his head is so little anymore. It has been roughly five years since I left Earth.  _ He thought back to when his son was born. He was so small and so early. Eight weeks early. His son spent a month in the NICU, but he was such a fighter. Sleep apnea? Was gone in a week. Mouth too small to breastfeed? He took the bottle down like a champ. Underdeveloped lungs? He was off of the oxygen in three weeks. Heart murmur? Was mostly gone by the time he turned one.

His son would be around six or seven now.

Lance shut his eyes at that thought. He missed most of his growing up. He’s probably too old to read bedtime stories to now. Or tuck into bed. 

_ I wonder if he knows how to hold a spoon now?  _ He gave a small laugh at that.  _ He most likely does now. Probably knows how to use a butter knife at this point. _

His hands grew slippery with blood, unable to put pressure on the wound.

_ They need to know before…. _

“Guys.” He rasped.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there Lance!” Shiro said, his breathing heavy.

“There’s something… I need to tell you guys.”

“You can tell us when we’re there!” Keith yelled, emotion thick in his voice.

“I have a little boy-” A coughing fit hit Lance, the wound bleeding even more, sending more shocks of pain through him. “At home. His name is Samuel. Sammy for short.” His lungs struggled to get air. “I have a picture of him… in my room at the… castle.” He wheezed.

“Lance?”

Lance couldn’t tell who the voice belonged to, so he keep going. “Tell him about me. About how… we stopped a war… about how we were all… heroes….”

“Lance!” Pidge ran to his body, kneeling at his side, tears blurring her vision. “We have to help him!” She sobbed as she tried to lift him up.

“Pidge.” Shiro stepped forward, stopping her. “It’s too late.”

She looked over to Lance’s face, staring at his lifeless gaze. She screamed and cried as the Paladins circled her, sharing her grief.


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I cried while writing this

“Hey, Hunk. Do you know where he kept the picture of his son?” Shiro ask, as he put Lance’s belongings in boxes so that he could give it to his family once they reach Earth.

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know he had a son. I knew he would do video chats almost everyday with his family whenever I was gone.” He put Lance’s jacket in a box full of his clothes. “He did like to buy space books and send them to his family, now that I think about it. They were kid friendly, just random facts with cool pictures.”

“I do remember him buying a stuffed toy of the blue lion, but I don’t see it anywhere in here.” The two men looked around the empty room, dread and heartache laid heavy in the air.

When they got back to the lounge, setting the boxes in stacks next to the couches, that the others asked them if they found the picture yet.

“We couldn’t find it along with a number of other things.” Hunk replied.

Keith stood up and waved for the rest to follow him. “Back when I was leader, I would ask Lance about advice. He showed me that the beds have secret compartments to them.”

They stood in front of Lance’s old door. Keith walked in, stopping to kneel by the bed. “I remember he said that he asked Coran if there was a place where he could keep his valuables.” He pushed a square button on the side of the bed and a drawer slowly slid open, revealing toys, books, and four journals.

They all looked at the drawer, none daring to pick any up.

“We should put these in a box for Samuel.” Keith broke the silence and reached for a picture frame. It showed a picture of Lance in his Garrison uniform, holding a little baby. The child looked to be about one. He had dark skin and blue eyes like his father but darker hair. Lance was laughing in the photo, his head thrown back, while Samuel had one of his hands in Lance’s face. The baby had a wide grin, showing off a few of his teeth. 

Keith set the frame on the bed and took out a journal. He opened it up to reveal Lance’s handwriting. It had a number two on the front page. Keith began to flip through it, scanning the man’s messy handwriting, until an entry caught his eyes.

- _ Keith was an absolute idiot. This reckless man thought he could save us by sacrificing himself! It’s probably a good thing that you’re not here Sammy. You would have heard daddy say a lot of bad words once he saw Keith again.  _

_ Sammy, I’m not sure if I’ll be coming home again. After this last battle, I have this sick feeling in my gut that I can’t shake off. But I’ll be sure to get you cool things to remember me by, just in case. I love you Sammy. Be safe.  _

“Keith, I don’t think it’s a good idea to be reading his personal journals.” Shiro advise, lowering the journal in Keith hands. 

Keith felt like throwing up. “Shiro, he knew. He knew he would never make it back.” He looked up at their leader, tears in his eyes. “That’s why he did all of this.”

The group stared at the drawer, a new layer of grief settling over them. 

“Let’s just put it all in a box for Sammy.” Hunk got up and grabbed an Altean box and began to gently put the contents of the drawer inside. 

 

They landed the Lions in an empty field, a few miles from where Lance’s home was to be. According to Hunk, he lived in a small farming community that was made for immigrants escaping their home countries. 

“And you’ve been here before?” Pidge asked as they walked along the dusty roads.

“Once. When we first became friends. His mom makes the best food you’ll ever eat. Seriously, that woman is a food goddess.”

They walked together, each taking turns holding boxes filled with various stuff. None of them knew what to say when they delivered the news to his family, not even when they stepped onto the porch and rang the doorbell.

A plump woman opened the door, staring at them all. She wore an apron with flour all over the front. Her blue eyes looked at each of the Paladins, finally settling on Hunk.

“Hunk?” She asked, in a thick Spanish accent.

“Hola, Mrs. McClain.” Hunk forced his voice to level. “May we come in?”

She gave them one last look and opened the door more, allowing them to come inside the warm house. She offered her hand to each of them, learning their names as they passed. She closed the door and told them to sit on the sofas in the room. A few seconds later she brought out sweet bread for them to eat.

“Mrs. McClain-”

“Call me Rosa.”

“Rosa,” Shiro continued, “We’re friends of Lance’s…. Your son.”

She nodded, her eyes suddenly glisting. 

Shiro’s mouth went dry as he tried to form the words needed. He slowly stood up and took a folded flag from on of the boxes on Keith’s lap. He silently walked over to her and knelt down, holding the flag up to her. He casted his head down, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. Once he heard her gasp he looked up to see tears steadily climb down.

“What is this? Where’s my son?” She whispered.

“He….” Shiro licked his lips. “He bravely gave his life to save the universe from destruction. He was part of the Paladins of Voltron, able to pilot three lions, while most of us could only pilot one. He was the sharpshooter, he was one of the legs that held up us, he was our right hand man, he was our leader. He was strong….” Tears slipped down his face. “So strong. He didn’t run away, don't hide from this responsibility that was suddenly thrusted upon him. He had one good reason to come back to earth, to come back home, but he choose to fight instead.” His voice cracked, making it difficult for him to go on. “He didn’t tell us about his son, until the last minute. We had no idea. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. We couldn’t save him, I couldn’t bring him back home like I promised. I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” His sobs ripped at his throat, causing him to choke and feel sick.

The other Paladins refused to make eye contact with Rosa, fearing that if they did, they would break like Shiro.

Rosa looked around at all of them, seeing the same heartache and regret. She looked down at the flag. It wasn’t an American flag, but one the team made for Voltron. It had all their colors and five stars in the center. She clutched it and let loose a heart shattering cry, begging the heavens for her little boy to come back home.

The others couldn’t handle the sight and one by one they broke down too. Blaming themselves for what happened.

“How did this happen?” Rosa spoke between sobs. “What is Voltron and why was my son apart of it?”

Hunk hastily wiped his tears and stood up. He didn’t want Shiro to do all the explaining so he explain the whole war, his voice breaking every now and then. During the explanation Shiro sat down with the others on the sofa and put his head in his hands. “He helped stop a war. And I deeply apologise that we couldn’t keep him safe. We’re sorry.”

Rosa wiped her face and scanned the rest of the group. It dawned on her that they were all children, too young for war. She didn’t want to imagine the horrors they saw while fighting an unknown space war. She shook her head, and tried to clear it. “Are those boxes his?” She finally asked, voice steady enough to be understood.

Keith stood up with his box and nodded. He brought it over to her feet and did his best to not cry upon seeing the contents that were in it. He grabbed the other one from Pidge’s lap and brought that over as well.

“What about the other one?” Rosa asked, motioning to the small box between Shiro and Hunk.

“That’s for Samuel.” He swallowed hard, and glanced down at her face. It was pale and it looked like she was about to pass out.

In a barely audible whisper, she said, “He should be coming home soon. I don’t want to tell him.” She cried.

“I can.” Keith reassured her, keeping his voice light.

She only nodded and sat down next to Pidge, softly crying, trying to get it together before Sammy came home.

A few minutes later, the back door opened, a small boy running in, calling for his abuelita. “I painted the night sky!” He stopped short, noticing the rest of the team. His hands drooped down, paper falling to the floor. “What’s wrong?”

Keith took the small box and brought it over to Sammy. “We’re all friends of Lance, your father.” He knelt down so he was at eye level. He didn’t know how to break it to the kid so he handed him the box, giving him a brief explanation of the war and Voltron. “He got you lots of things from space. This box is full of them, and he even got you a stuffed animal of his lion. Along with the red and black ones since he was a badass and could pilot them.” He closed his eyes, mentally cursing at himself for swearing in front of a child. “I’m sorry.” He added. “That he’s not here. He’s up with the stars now.”

Sammy started crying when he heard the last part. “My daddy is gone?” He looked over to Rosa. “Where’s daddy?”

Rosa only went over to him and embraced him. “He’s with the stars mijo.”

Sammy shook his head. “No. He can’t be gone, I don’t know him, he can’t be gone!” He cried. “The others told us he was just missing, so maybe he still is and we need to find him.”

Keith’s hands shook. The cries and pleads of Sammy broke his heart. He didn’t know that this was going to be that hard. He felt the guilt that came with taking lives for war. He felt abandonment when his mother left him and his father died. He’s saved kids from death, vividly remembering their faces as they watched their homes burn. But none of that compared to what he was feeling now. 

It was as if someone was gripping his lungs, making it hard to breath. Like someone was slowly pulling at his heart strings, snapping them. He knew what it was like to lose a father at a young age. So he pulled Sammy and Rosa into a hug, attempting to quiet his sobs.

After awhile Samuel’s crying slowed. He pushed away from the hug and looked down at the box. He picked up the Blue Lion and hugged it. It was soft and felt like a cloud. He kept it under his right arm and rummaged through the rest, pulling out various items. Books, drawings, stuffed animals, shirts, and journals. At the bottom he found a tablet, it was blue and silver and hummed with energy. He turned it over in his hands. He looked up at Keith and politely asked him how it worked. 

Keith knelt down again to look at it. “It’s Altean, so I don’t know how it works. Maybe Pidge can figure it out?” He looked over his shoulder, eyes pleading at the girl. She shakily got up and knelt down with Keith. She took the tablet and showed Sammy the power button. She turned it on and saw that it was filled with videos.

“Sammy, see these?” He nodded. “These are videos. If you gently poke one of them, the video will play.”

Sammy took the tablet from Pidge’s hands. He looked up at her and then back down at the Altean device. He poked a video named ‘Do it for the vine’.

It showed Hunk trying to hold his laughter as he approached a sleeping Keith. Lance’s voice was in a loud whisper, “Do it, then run!”

Hunk snickered and then pulled out his old phone. “I can’t believe Pidge found a way to charge these.”

“Hurry up!” Lance hissed from behind the screen.

Hunk pushed a button and suddenly “SomeBODY ONCE TOLD ME-”

Keith shot up, looking startled. The camera view changed, showing Lance and Hunk running away, laughing and snorting, with a very angry Keith running behind them, yelling threats.

The video stopped and Sammy looked up. “Is that my dad?” He asked the two of them. They nodded. “You looked mad.” He told Keith.

“I was mad.” He gave him a what he hoped was a smile.

The boy looked back down at the tablet. “Was my daddy funny? Did he play pranks a lot?”

“Oh yeah,” Pidge said. “He could make us laugh in the middle of battle. He was very funny and could always make us smile on days when we felt sad.” She gave him a small smile.

He looked up at them and then to the rest of the team. He was still sad about his father being dead, but watching the video made him feel a little bit better. He sat down on the floor and made the rest of the team sit down behind him. Together they all watch countless videos, some funny, some meant for just Sammy. With each video he got an explanation from the team, hearing it from their side. It made them laugh and smile, and for a little while, it made them feel as if things were going to be okay. Because even though Lance was gone, he was still making them smile in their darkest of days. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's the end of it! I added part two and tried to wrap it up to make it not hurt so much XD Comments are very appreciated! Let me know what you guys think of this and it's ending!  
> If there are any mistakes, let me know so I can fix it. I may be mexican, but I don't know shit about spanish, so I just went off what I know, so I deeply apologise if I slaughtered spelling.  
> Also, if you guys want, I'll write about one of the videos Lance leaves for just Sammy.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little drabble, but I thought it was good enough to post on here. Probably will delete this one depending on the reactions I get. May fix it up or add a second part where they go see his mother and son. Just depends on what you guys want.  
> Also, back story for how Lance got a kiddo. He doesn't mention the mother because it was one of his aunts who sexually abused him. She wanted to get rid of the baby, but Lance said no and fought to keep it. After a few months he won the case and she was thrown in jail after the early birth of the baby.


End file.
